Letters to the Editor
-
chains of respect
So say the Brewers decide that they aren't respecting Fielder enough, and start paying him the millions he's asking for (of course with a long term contract that would ultimately pay Fielder less than if he's waited for free agency, because now the only team that can offer Fielder a contract is the Brewers while when he gets enough time in for free agency he can entertain offers from multiple teams, thus driving up demand, but that's another story*). The owners then pat themselves on the back, say good job, and then turn around and tell the ticket-buying public, "Hey, we're looking out for you, we signed this young phenom player to a long term contract. Oh, by the way, we can't afford to pay him unless we raise ticket prices, charge $10 for beer, and we'll need a new stadium soon." Then they'll go looking for the next young sucker ...I mean talented ballplayer... and repeat.
Granted, the Brewers have a pretty new stadium, but replace the Brewers and Fielder with any team and young player, and it all amounts to MLB jacking up the costs to the fans.
* Oh, you say that Fielder wants those millions without giving up his free agency rights in a few years? Shocking! Maybe he should talk to his union leadership, or explain why he's so special that he doesn't have to play by the same rules as all the other young players in the game.
-
yep
This is not so much Curt Flood but closer to Latrell "I have a family to feed" Sprewell.
C'mon man...show a little class there big guy, I understand that this all part of the subtle dance of contract negotiation, but man, it sure comes off as callow and snotty.
sheesh, the nerve of some people eh? ;)
-
ianr
I'm not talking about him I'm talking about you. Try to keep up, will you?
-
I want you to want me
I'm guessing a young, charismatic, potential mega-star in the Howard/Fielder mold just might have some appeal in the advertising world.
And I'm also guessing there's no limit to the dollars they may earn in that arena.
Which, sadly, demonstrates another disconnect with the average fan. After all, not many people get to supplement their basic salary by prancing around in a particular shoe or clothing company's wares.
(Although, this might explain why King is going video.)
-
King Kaufman's Pay
King, you must make somewhere between $50,000 and $86,167 per year, based on your article. That's between ten percent of the guy who makes $500,000, and two lifetimes (two 30-year careers) to make as much as the guy who makes $5,170,000.
You make more than I make, but you do not make enough to live in San Francisco. Do you have a trust fund?
-
Some clarification
King isn't arguing whether or not Fielder deserves a raise -- if anything, he's implying that Fielder does, based on market value.
His point is that Fielder complaining about it in public is crass and rude. King specifically says that the dispute should be handled by the Union, the team, and their respective lawyers/agents, instead of him whining to the press.
-
Harrumph
King is right on both counts -- players deserve the money the get, and it is useemly (to say no more) for them to complain that others get more.
What I would add is that while players love to complain when they perform at a level that might justify higher pay, they never seem to have much to say when they underperform. If Prince Fielder someday signs a $12 million/year contract and then hits 14 home runs, I suspect he will not be offering to give the money back.
-
King: pretty niave article
As a Brewers fan and (of course) Fielder fan, I take some exception to your description of Prince's comments.
First, you left out his subsequent comment that he is going to play this year, no problem. I don't remember the quote exactly, but its in that AP article of yours. He's going to play hard and not complain - he's just putting the Brewers on notice.
Second, he's not complaining to YOU or to US as fans - he's getting the word out to media, which will increase the general pressure on GM Doug Melvin, Brewers ownership, etc., to make him a big offer next winter.
By all accounts, Fielder is a friendly, outgoing, incredibly talented player, is well-liked in Milwaukee and one of those unique Brewers that appeals nationally - a great baseball story. Plus his dad is a psycho who also hit 50 homers in a year. He's making less than a million bucks after hitting 50 homeruns, something the tiniest fraction of the best baseball players in the world can do. For him not to complain, in the direct and slight way that he did, would be strange.
Fielder and his agent are playing a tactical game that may result in what they want - a ton of money. He's not complaining to you, he's negotiating with the Brewers.
-
negotiation, the Media, Salaries, and Baseball.
I think it's pretty well understood that going to the Media with your salary issues is going to put pressure on management and have an effect on contract talks. In that regard, it's a good tactic.
However, when you consider the salaries paid to these players come out of the pockets of fans, many of which make far, far, far less than the players, then King's right. Yeah, you deserve your cash, you deserve to make what others in your particular bracket are making. But in a time when fans are going to have to tighten their belts (and go without some other luxuries so they can afford the exorbitant ticket prices MLB charges these days), complaining about your salary to the local news in the hopes of garnering "fan pressure" on management is an uncouth, childish tactic.
If these guys are supposed to represent the American Pastime, and ma, and apple pie, and the what not, they do a pretty poor job of it (or even maintaining that illusion) by coming out and saying their six or seven figure salaries are just too low. I'm sure he's expecting tomorrow that the local papers will be filled with letters to the editor complaining that he's not getting a fair shake. Yeah, tell that to the guy who's job just got outsourced, again. I'm sure he's got a lot of sympathy for the guy who could feed his family ten times over without breaking a sweat.